SASCOC dig deep to assist our swimmers

Olympic governing body SASCOC have gone to great lengths to ensure that our top swimmers will be able to compete at the FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain in July.

This follows reports that our swimmers would have to contribute to their expenses.

SASCOC have said they will contribute more than R400,000 to the national cause to Swimming South Africa’s budget.

Despite the fact that only five swimmers are on SASCOC’s Operation Excellence (OPEX) programme, SASCOC based their contribution on an estimate of 10 swimmers and six officials.

Said SASCOC Chief Executive Officer Mr Tubby Reddy. “Funding is an ongoing problem in South African sport but at SASCOC we felt that we had to do whatever possible to ensure that as many athletes as possible get to compete in Barcelona.

“As SASCOC we will always contribute to the best of our ability. Swimming did us proud with three medals (two gold and a silver) at the London Olympics last year and we need to build on this going forward. Thus, we are proud to say that we are contributing an amount of R435,200.00 to this cause.”

In more good news for SA swimming is the exciting announcement that SASCOC have wrapped up an agreement between Swimming South Africa and national coach, Graham Hill.

Hill, who coaches 2012 Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer Chad le Clos, is contracted from 1 April 2013 to 31 December 2016 which means his current term will incorporate the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland and the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.

Reddy was a happy man to announce the news of Hill’s appointment. “It is absolutely wonderful to see that Graham is so patriotic to South Africa in light of the various employment offers that he has received from various countries and that includes Australia which he has turned down in favour of continuing his fabulous work for South African sport.”